All Around Me
by bookworm-with-bite
Summary: In the last battle of the rebellion, Arya is critically wounded in battle. These are her thoughts about her love, Eragon Shadeslayer, as she lays on the battlefield; expecting to die. SongFic to Flyleafs "All Around Me". Please R&R!
1. Wounded

_**Disclaimer: **_**I do not own the Inheritance Cycle. Christopher Paolini does. **

**I don't own the song "All Around Me" either. This song is by the amazingly talented band Flyleaf. Oh, and I know that this song can be taken religiously as being about God, but for the purposes of this Fic its about how Arya feels for Eragon, kapeesh? **

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_There is nothing but this. The flash of steel, the smell of blood, the longing to defeat the enemy,_ I, Arya, think.

I am fighting Murtaugh in what, everyone fervently hoped, would be the end of the revolution. I am forced to block both his mental and physical attacks again and again…. and I have no more strength. His spells are indescribable. Dark and overwhelming. I have never experienced their like before, in my over a century upon this earth.

I hope I will not eventually lose. The battle could be lost. My people would forever be oppressed. And I don't just mean the elves of my homeland either… the dwarfs who opened their home to me, my human friends, the Varden… and my rider. The last one. Eragon. He is fighting Galbatorix at the moment. My heart fears for him, if Murtaugh is the apprentice what could the master's skill be like?

_He will persevere… he always has,_ I think, deflecting Murtaugh's ruby blade, Za'roc, again.

Even in courting me he had perseverance. He never gave up. The thought brings a smile to my tired lips, remembering his words, his expressions, the many times he had attempted to woo me. I had always had to refuse. It was never the right time, the right place…. and at first I hadn't really wanted him. I had had my heart broken before by reckless elf lords, and then again by the death of my friend Faolin.

I had never approved of the elven custom of "mates" for short periods of time. It made it too hard for me to be happy. I wanted to be swept off my feet and loved forever. Like Eragon had done.

I sigh again; the strength of skipping around Murtaugh's blade over and over is exhausting. All I can do is hope I can doge him long enough….

"Think of Eragon," I mutter to myself as I throw off yet another mental attack.

If we both live through this, I intend to accept him. What did age, race, species, matter when someone makes you feel this way? What a miracle to love and be loved. He just didn't know of my love yet, of course, it would have distracted him from his training.

_Just another sacrifice for the good of Alegasia,_ I think to myself. _One of many._

But after this awful battle……….

I picture myself going to his tent after dark . I would tell him, and he would understand. I could picture his beautiful smile, hear his laugh as I would tell him how very much I had learned to love him….

In my split second of blissful distraction, my opponent sees the opening and charges. I feel Za' roc, once my beloved's blade, spear through my left side.

Murtaugh laughs in triumph, but before I sink to the sandy battleground, I use my falling momentum to swing my sword and behead him.

I fall to the ground beside Murtaugh's severed head, frozen in an expression between maniacal laughter and shock. Every breath is a strangled gasp. I can see my heart's red blood pour out onto the dusty plain.

After what felt like ages I hear our forces cheer as you defeat Galbatorix. I am so proud of you Eragon. My rider……

(A/N cue start of "All Around Me" opening guitar solo)

_My hands are searching for you_

_My arms are outstretched towards you_

Or rather, my mind is searching Eragon , I have to find you, to tell you…

_I feel you on my fingertips_

Ahh, there is your familiar mind, and by some miracle -despite the barriers you have placed- I can slip inside. Find me please Eragon, find me lying here!

_My tongue dances behind my lips for you_

It's so wrong for me to feel this…lust… for you as I lay dying, but also so right. My heart beats faster to even think of you this way, pumping more blood onto the sand.

_This fire rising through my being_

_Burning I'm not used to seeing you_

It hurts so bad Eragon! I hear your thoughts, and though you are tired and dirty, you search for me as well, expecting the worst. Why can't you find me?! Why can't you hear me begging for you in your mind?!

_I'm alive, I'm alive_

I practically scream this into your mind, I need you here Eragon. I'm not gone yet! Don't mourn as if I have! Is this negativity why you cannot find me?

_I can feel you all around me_

_Thickening the air I'm breathing_

_Holding on to what I'm feeling_

_Savoring this heart that's healing_

I do try to savor this feeling for you. It is all I will take with me into the void. I sigh audibly; I can barely hold on.

_My hands float up above me_

_And you whisper you love me_

I hear you, Eragon. Saphira wonders why you still search for my body and you whisper in reply: "I loved her Saphira, in ways you cannot understand." My broken -literally and metaphorically- heart swells at your declaration of love. Do you know I hear you?

_And I begin to fade_

_Into our secret place_

I can barely feel your mind anymore. I begin to float away.

_The music makes me sway_

_The angels singing say we are alone with you_

_I am alone and they are too with you_

If I am alone, how is this heaven? I force myself back to the plain where I brokenly shout into you mind again:

_I'm alive, I'm alive_

This time you hear me. I mentally send you my position and I feel you rush towards me on your great sapphire dragon.

_I can feel you all around me_

_Thickening the air I'm breathing_

_Holding on to what I'm feeling_

_Savoring this heart that's healing_

You kneel beside me, cradling me in your strong arms. "Eragon…" I whisper . You try to heal me. Saphira tries. I even try myself. We are all too weak, even with our strength combined. I am resigned now: **I am going to die.**

_I can feel you all around me_

_Thickening the air I'm breathing_

_Holding on to what I'm feeling_

_Savoring this heart that's healing_

You kiss me, your lips soft as rose petals and so hesitant. I feel your surprise as I return the kiss deeply. Again and again our lips meet. I can taste tears, both yours and mine. You will not give up trying to heal me, but I fold my hand over your own. "Don't Eragon," I murmur like a caress "Stop, you have so little strength , and I don't plan on taking you with me into the void." I sigh again. "Just hold me…"

_And so I cry_

_The light is white_

_And I see you_

Although Saphira's wing shades us, I can see a bright light behind you. I choose to ignore it, knowing it has come to take my spirit to the void. I memorize every plane of your face. I will miss you, my rider, my love…

_I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive _

I think for the last time, pausing to thank whatever greater forces there may be in the universe for letting me live this long. Long enough to let me kiss you, to tell you how I feel… alas… I haven't done that yet. What should I say to make you see how much I love you?

_I can feel you all around me_

_Thickening the air I'm breathing_

_Holding on to what I'm feeling_

_Savoring this heart that's healing_

In the ancient language I whisper to him:

"_Take my hand_

_I give it to you_

_Now you own me_

_All I am_

_You said you would never leave me_

_I believe you_

_I believe_

I love you, my Rider, if only I had shown you earlier we would have had more time."

You pause, more tears streaming down your handsome face, and kiss me again, ever so gently. Then you say, "Don't say goodbye yet, Arya please, I cannot bear it! Wait, help may still come. I won't let you die! You will not die! Not now!" Your pitch rises in panic.

_I can feel you all around me_

_Thickening the air I'm breathing_

_Holding on to what I'm feeling_

_Savoring this heart that's healed_

"I love you, Eragon" I think in the ancient language, again.

I push this last thought into his still resolute mind.

Then I give into the light, and feel nothing at all.

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**Now comes the exciting part: you will have to review to tell me whether you want Arya to live or die!!!! Whichever option gets the most reviews is the second chapter I will write!!!! **

**-or you could vote to end the story there I guess……**

**Ha-ha there is some incentive for ya'll 2 review!!!! Please do! *puppy dog face* it will only take a sec, and **_**constructive**_** criticism is appreciated… so as should go without saying no flames please. **

**Thanks a million to my beta reader: Niah-Miyoki!!!! You rock!!!!**

**bookworm-with-bite **


	2. Alone

**Before we start, I just want to apologize for all the underlining and wonky spacing of my last chapter. This is my first time using FanFic and I'm not sure what happened… lets just call it technical difficulties shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inheritance Trilogy. I wish I did though. Seriously. **

**Oh, and one more thing: this chapter contains some Brisinger spoilers. **

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**~APOV~**

There is no physical pain in this darkness. I suppose I should find this freeing, but the emotional pain of knowing I have left Eragon is so much more acute without it.

That is the worst part: I am alone. I left him.

If I had eyes -or a body of any kind- I would be sobbing. But I don't. All I am is a broken soul in the darkness. Even as the only elf in a world of dwarfs and humans who don't understand me I have never felt so alone. Why can't I see anything?! Is the void supposed to be like this?!

I also feel so immensely guilty that I was not strong enough to stay with Eragon.

My friend. My rider. My love.

Why hadn't I told him how I felt sooner?! Despite the distraction it would have caused him, I believe it would have been worth it. Besides, didn't our relationship distract him enough already?! I remember the fairth he made me, and it feels as though the sadness will tear me apart. Why did I have to die?!

And through the darkness I hear a familiar voice: "So many questions Arya." A mysterious chuckle. "You were always a curious one."

I detect a faint glow through the blackness. It grows bigger until I can tell it is the outline of a dragon.

A large _golden_ dragon.

"Gladr!" I cry out. But _how? _my more practical side wonders. Eragon told me he had Gladr's Eldinari……..

"Eragon returned all of the imprisoned dragons by smashing the Eldinari. Myself included" Gladr responds, his familiar double timbre resounding through my spirit.

_Ah, that's Eragon, always putting others before himself_ I think to myself. I then cringe from the emotional pain of even thinking his name. It's driving a serrated knife through my spirit just to wonder how much it must have hurt him when I passed.

"Yes we wanted to speak to you about that" says the same voice I herd tell me I ask too many questions -before I saw the glow. Looking upon Gladr's large golden back I see…

"Oromis?" I ask incredulously. How many people you thought you had lost can you expect to see in one day after all?

"At your service" He replies with a flourish, He then jumps off of Gladr's back and walks over to me.

"I know it will take a great deal of energy to get you back to your body so I've rallied a few…."

I cut him off "Oromis I'm DEAD." I whisper. "Dead as you and Gladr. Dead as Brom. Dead as Faolin and my father and… don't tell me I'm not. I felt it as I took my last breath. I gave in to the darkness. " I sob "I wish now I fought harder.. But I was just so tired of _fighting…_so tired…. and Eragon he…."

"No, no, no Arya" Oromis shakes his head. "Just having an… how shall we put it?…. Out of body experience right now. Although all of that may change if we don't get enough energy at our disposal to get you back to your body."

I gasp. Not dead? Oh, Eragon! "Prove it!" I exclaim.

"You just proved it yourself" Oromis says, " You just gasped and before that you sobbed. If you had no lungs, as I do not, you couldn't have done either of those things"

For a moment I just _breathe_. I can't believe I didn't notice that before. I can, but only if I wipe all distraction from my mind, feel my heart beat so weakly against my ribs. Once…Twice…Again. What a pleasurable sound!

If I concentrate, I can still feel the sand beneath my back, the sun on my face, the painful wound on my side. I focus very hard and manage to wrap my fingers around something warm and calloused. A hand laces its fingers with my own. _Eragon._

Now every beat of that heart has a name _Eragon, Eragon, Eragon_. I should… no I MUST find a way back to you. It shouldn't have ended like this. _Eragon…Eragon…Eragon_.

"My thoughts exactly" Oromis says jovially "The poor boy has lost so much, and you my dear Arya have lost so much. It is my duty and service to help you back to him."

"Anything. Everything. I will do it to get back to him." I whisper, breaking the connection with my body again, by losing focus. "Only tell me Oromis-elda."

"How MUCH do you love him, hatchling?" Gladrs double timbre sounds in my head.

"There are no longer words to describe it… that is to say more that I thought master. So much more" I hear my heartbeat again briefly: _Eragon…Eragon…Eragon. _

I am not sure but I believe that I see Gladrs massive lips twitch in what resembles a smile. "Then here is what you must do…."

**~EPOV~**

Arya's familiar voice whispers in my mind: _"I love you, Eragon" _in the ancient language. So she cant be lying. Under normal circumstances that line would have made me the happiest man in Alegasia; but now, here, the way she says it sounds too much like…

_**Goodbye.**_

I watch in fear as her beautiful green eyes close. I am completely helpless to stop it, and that thought alone scares me more than any other.

"No, Arya! No! Stay with me!" I yell. "Please!"

Watching her die brings back a thousand unpleasant memories of Garrow's death, Brom's death, Ajihad's death, Oromis and Glader's death's…

_Everyone I know seems to end up dead _I think.

_Her heart still beats, little one,_ Saphira responds. _Just listen…_

"Impossible" I say, but I press my fingers to the hollow at the base of her neck anyway.

Saphira speaks the truth, It is faint and uneven, but Arya's heartbeat is still there. I hasten to press my lips to Arya's, forcing air down her windpipe. "Breathe, Arya" I murmur before repeating the mouth to mouth.

Again and again I, in a sense, breathe for Arya. Her lips taste of blood, but I am beyond caring. I loose track of time, only thinking of Arya and my determination to save the one I love. She seems to let out a little sob.

Then she gasps.

It is as though the world stands still for that one moment, I can see nothing, hear nothing but that faint rise and fall of her breast and whistle of air traveling to her nearly destroyed lungs.

Arya is breathing on her own.

I place my hand inside of Arya's and am surprised when I feel her tighten her grip.

I then gently caress Arya's battle-worn face with my other hand and whisper to her "If you can hear me, Arya, I love you too. So much."

Tears make streaks of dirt on my stubbly cheeks as I realize it does not matter if she is breathing, my love will still eventually die from her gaping wound.

_Saphira what do I do? I can feel my heart breaking! _

_I feel Saphira think for a moment then the rush of her triumphant thought as she practically shouts into my mind: "Eragon, use Aren!" _

Brom's ring! Of course! The masses of energy are more than enough to heal Arya!

_Its funny how we always forget about the ring, _Saphira thinks, _until __after__ we need it. _

_It's not funny at all_, I think, _Remember how Brom told me in the memory he gave to watch out for who I have chosen to love, because the men in our family tend to make bad choices? It seems fitting that I should use his last gift to heal the one I love; as he never got the chance to heal his._

_I think he would be very pleased and proud_, Saphira responds, _IF this works._

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**Ha-ha a cliffy! So what did you guys think?? Too sappy? Too sad?? Too unrealistic??**

**Thank you all so much for the reviews on the last chapter… I was worried that no one would read/ actually like this story so I got like a MAJOR confidence boost. **

**I may not be updating for a while -its exam week at my school x(- but I will really try for you guys. I mean what do grades and sleep matter in prospective to Eragon and Arya's love?!? **

**Hope you liked it! Review if you did! Review if you didn't to tell me what I did wrong! **

**~bookworm-with-bite**


	3. Healing

Sorry this took so long. Exams were brutal and then I caught the feared authors disease: writers block!!! Curse it! But anyway here is the final chappie of the All Around Me story. Hope you guys like it!

Disclaimer: If I owned the Inheritance Trilogy, there would be soooo many more Eragon & Arya fluff moments! So no, I definitely don't own it.

**~EPOV~**

I stretch my hand out over the gaping wound in Arya's side. Her skin looks so pale in comparison to the crimson liquid pouring from her injury.

_Please -whatever Gods there may be in this universe- let this work. _I silently plea.

Then I whisper the long incantation that will heal my love in the ancient language. A few words into the spell weaving, I feel my own strength start to flag and begin to draw on the pool of energy in Aren.

As I continue the incantation, I watch as the bruises on Arya's creamy skin slowly fade, all of the visible little scratches from her battle with Murtaugh vanish. Then her cheeks seem to become less pale, her breathing seems to get easier, and then ,at last, the giant wound in her left side disappears, leaving barely a scar; just a thin line a shade lighter than her skin down her left side.

After a few long minutes,I am sure the magic is completed. My Arya is healed, inside and out.

I am afraid to even breathe as I wait for Arya to open her eyes. I briefly wonder if she will remember she told me she loves me? Was she just hysterical from the pain? What if….?

A few moments later, a more pressing issue becomes apparent.

It has been more than 20 minutes since I finished the incantation, and she still has not opened her eyes.

"C'mon Arya " I mutter, feeling the inside of her wrist for a pulse. There it is, strong and steady. Her breathing is deep and even, and she has the appearance of one merely sleeping.

_Saphira, what could possibly be wrong?!? _I mentally moan. _She is totally healed!_

_I don't know, little one, I just don't know._ I can feel Saphira's confusion rebound across our mental link; mirroring my own.

A few minutes of gazing at the thoroughly non-responsive Arya later, Saphira gently tells me : _I think we were too late, Eragon. You did heal her body, but her spirit is already gone._

I am too numb from sadness to even thing for a moment, then the pain hits me.

I was too late.

So close, and I was too late.

The little bubble of hope that seeing Arya healed had given me was crushed. It feels as though a knife has stabbed through my heart, leaving it empty. I double over and close my arms over the newly formed hole; trying to hold myself together.

_We'll, keep trying. _I stubbornly think to Saphira.

_Oh, little one, _she responds. _What else is there to try? It would be kinder to just let her body pass on as well…_

I abruptly stop listening to Saphira's thoughts. Hearing her talk about Arya as a body, I shudder, it makes her death too… final. A dry sob shakes my shoulders.

A short amount of time passes before Saphira thinks: _I'm sorry, Eragon. She's gone._

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**As AryaEragonsAngel so cleverly pointed out in her review, I really do like tragic love stories. That's really the direction Chris P. has them moving in too, isn't it? So ya, I haven't decided whether or not to let Arya die yet…….. Her dying would really add some depth to the story, dont you think? **

**Anyhoo, apologiezes for any grammar/spelling errors. I didn't even send this through my Beta before I published it, because I was in such a rush to get it too you guys. I think you waited long enough, with my exams then writers block and what-not. **

**Reviews make me want to update! I _would_ like at least 7 before I upload the next chappie. C'mon ya'll don't you WANT a happily-ever-after!?!?! Then tell me so! REVIEW! Pwease with ice-cream and suger on top? **

**~bookworm-with-bite (the lover of tragic love stories, lol) **


	4. Energy

TA-DA! Here is the long awaited fourth chappie of All Around Me.

In case I haven't distinguished this already, I DO NOT own The Inheritance Cycle.

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****~APOV~****

I am still in the void, listening to the plan Oromis and Gladr have concoted to get me back to Eragon. I do not care how difficult it may be, I must return. It was not fair that we were torn apart so soon after I had told him I felt the same way as he did about our love. And yes, I am aware of the old human adage "Life's not fair", but don't we both deserve more? We had just saved Alegasia! And…. We had just confessed our love! It shouldn't have been snached away! I should really stop this rant. It's unbecoming.

Of course, this predicament is partially my fault, for not telling him of my true feelings as soon as I realized them for myself. But now I shall have a second chance at love with him, with the wretched war over and…

Oromis speaks again, shocking me out of my hopeful reverie "Arya, what has happened here is a strange phenomena of magic, I'm not quite sure what's going on here, but I have a few theories. Lets start with the idea of the molecular particles of your spirit…"

"Oromis, this isn't a lecture you are giving to Eragon" Gladr reminds him with a smile "Just give Arya the bare minimum of what she needs to know, and we will go from there."

"Errrr… right" Oromis looks bashful for a moment before continuing "Well you know what they say: Once a teacher, Always a teacher!" He smiles "So, my dear Arya, right now I believe we have established your spirit is in limbo. It is just a matter of getting enough energy at our disposal to return your spirit to your body. Now, you know that when beings die, a bit of energy is left in the corpse? I believe Eragon used that method to store up some of the energy reserves in his gems…. Well, the rest of the energy goes with the spirit of the diseased being.

"We have called together a few spirits that you may recognize, and some that you may not, all willing to give you their last odd bits of energy to help you and Eragon remain together. "

"Really, they would do that?" I ask, gasping in disbelief. "

"Yes, hatchling, they would." Gladr speaks slowly, his deep voice nearly making my spirit rattle "You and Eragon seem to have some very loyal friends."

I smile "Thank you, both of you. In fact , thank you, ALL of the people that come. That is… If they can hear me." I am still a little unsure of this place, the void, and how it works here.

"Oh, they can hear you."

In a flash, I turn around . I had never expected to hear his voice again.

His wonderful deep gravelly voice. The one that helped me learn to lace my boots and ride a horse. That same voice told me tales of adventure every night before bed.

The voice of my long-dead father.

"Oh, Father!" I exclaim, throwing myself into his arms and…. Passing right through him.

Odd, hitting the black floor of the void causes me no pain, and I float back up. I puzzle the logic behind this before returning my eyes to gaze upon my fathers face, rememorizing it for the first time in seventy years.

"Careful darling" the deceased King of the Elves says gently "Remember you are only visiting the void, your body is still in the physical world. Therefore you will fall right through any of us who are…. er… permanently here.

"Oh, right then, no physical contact." I say abashedly. " Then, how are you papa? I've missed you so!"

He laughs a his great booming laugh that I have missed so much. "As well as can be expected from an old dead man!" He chuckles again. Then, seeing my face fall at the mention of his death, he quickly adds

"I'm fine, Arya, truly. Much better since your mother arrived at the beginning of this battle. We keep each other company now, and she has told me many stories about you." He smiles good naturedly. "Is it true my little Arya killed a shade?"

"Actually, yes." I smile back. "But Eragon helped me."

"Normally I'd want the blow-by-blow of what I am sure was a spectacular conquest, but as I am also sure you are anxious to get back to this Eragon fellow… He sounds quite spectacular" He gives me another crooked grin. "I'll just pass my now useless energy onto you."

Then my father takes his hand and places it just a millimeter off of my own palm -so his hand wont go through it I suspect- and closes his eyes.

Immediately I feel masses of strength flow through me, energizing me. I feel as though I could scale mountains , jump rivers, do anything.

When I look up to thank my father, he is already gone. I am alone in the black again.

My heart shatters yet again. To see my father again only to have him ripped away is unbearable. I begin to sob miserably. And he mentioned that mother is here now as well! How can anything be right again? I've come off my energy high and am crashing down into a chasm of melancholy. Who am I kidding, this will never work! Oh, Eragon!

I am still sitting on the floor, weeping softly when I hear another voice behind me.

"Arya, what ever is the matter? What makes you weep so? Tell me and I shall fix it in an instant! Oh my beloved, I had thought I would never see you again!"

"FAOLIN?!" I shout incredulously (AN: her elven lover who died. She tells Eragon about him in Brisinger)

"Yes ,it is I" he replies with a wry smile "Who else could imagine to call you beloved?"

I duck my head bashfully "Well, actually…." I begin

"Nonsense, darling. I know all about Eragon. I am willing to give you my energy reserves to help you get back to him, aren't I?" He crouches down to meet my eyes "I just want you to be happy, Arya. No one deserves it more than you. "

He stands again and I can feel the ghost of his hand millimeters from the crown of my head. All of a sudden, I feel the rush of energy that means Faolin has transferred his energy to me and is gone.

I stand shakily, and feel a rare smile grace my lips. Faolin's blessing was more than I could have ever thought to ask for, and I am immensely grateful he approves of Eragon.

_Eragon! I'm coming back to you!_ I think with joy. I feel so strong and sure of my course now. I wonder if this is enough energy to get me back to him right now?! Just the thought of feeling his soft lips on mine again has my head whirling and my stomach clenching in anticipation.

"Not yet, Arya" I hear Oromis speak gently. "The barrier between the worlds is thick and you will need much more energy to breach it."

"Alright" I sigh loudly, disappointed. I was so ready to feel Eragon's strong arms around me. I can't help it, I cross my own arms moodily and try to control the sarcasm in my voice as I say "Whose next?"

"Well, my daughter." Speaks a serene voice " I haven't seen you pout like this since you were a little girl of six summers. Eragon must really mean something to you."

I whirl around to see my mother standing behind me with one eyebrow raised.

"Oh. Mother!" I reply "I'm so sorry that you passed! I know we had our disagreements but I shall miss you so!" I start to throw my arms around her, but remember I will fall right through. It saddens me deeply that I must take a hasty step back and keep my arms at my sides.

"Arya dearest." I watch my mothers impeccable composure crack "Oh, Arya!" Tears begin to spill over her immaculate face. She leans close to me. "I love you daughter, never forget that. Everything I did to keep you and Eragon apart… it wasn't fair to you. It was never fair that I put matters of politics above the happiness of my own child. I have arranged it with the elf lords so that you do not have to be queen if it is against your wishes. I hope you will spend the rest of your life with Eragon, happy and free of the responsibilities I always bestowed upon your young shoulders."

I am stunned. I open my mouth to thank her and try to make sense of what she has just told me. Just as suddently as the speech began, she ends it with a watery smile, and places her hand just above my aforementioned shoulder and transfers the energy quickly, so that she disappears before I can respond.

I stand there shell-shocked for a moment, full of the energy she has just bestowed on me. This life free of responsibility she has painted before me is sorely tempting. I can just see Eragon and I living in a cottage far up in the mountains…..

Gladrs timbre sounds throughout the void: "Focus, Arya."

***

I cannot say how much time passes here in the void, but it seems I spend years receiving energy from people. Some are dear friends who I cry with, others knew only Eragon and want to help his love return to him. I've spoken with everyone from Garrow who speaks barely a gruff sentence "Give my love to my boy." to one of the dragons who Eragon smashed the Eldinari of that gave a speech so long I cannot even _begin_ to remember what the meaning behind it was. I even met a dwarven priest who had to point out that his religion was right about the afterlife and mine was not. Strangely, this did not upset me much becase I was so deeply grateful there WAS somewhere to go after death, so that I might return to eragon.

Finally, instead of another well-wisher appearing in the void with me, Oromis and Gladr return.

Oromis says "Alright, Arya. This is it. After Gladr and I bestow our energy to you, you will not be able to see us or hear us anymore. After we have disappeared, I want you to focus on your body very, very hard. Concentrate on returning to it and everyone you love." He gives a gentle smile, obviously thinking, as I was, about Eragon "You will feel all of your strength draining, put keep trying to press through the haze that is keeping you from the physical world. If you fail, we will see you on the other side of this chasm. If you succeed, give Eragon our love." Both dragon and ancient master grin.

I feel the now commonplace rush of energy, and then they are gone.

All of a sudden, I am very afraid. I didn't think I would be doing this without Oromis and Gladr's guidance!

But I must try. For Eragon, my young love, I must try.

Taking a deep breath, I focus on returning to my body. A thick wall seems to separate us. I know that this is all a mirage, a trick of the mind, but it certainly feels solid.

Using all the energy reserves I have, I begin to chip away at the mass. After a few moments, I see why so much energy was needed. I feel half drained and I still cannot open my eyes or twich my fingertips. It is sheer torture! I still resolutely try to break down the heavy wall. Ahhhh, I can't bear it anymore!

Just when I feel I am about to die of exertion, my toe twitches………….

Then my foot……

My leg comes next………

I can feel the glorious pins and needles feeling of sensation returning to me. Oh the blissful pain of it!

Now I can arch my back. I shrug each shoulder, then wiggle all ten fingers.

I sigh, and am struck by the odd fact that there is no pain where my mortal wound should be.

Eragon must have healed me. Will he ever cease to amaze me? Gods, do I love him.

I feel an odd rush travel through my body at the mere THOUGHT of his name. It is as though I have cut open a vein inside my self. This vein is full of something hotter, sweeter, and thicker than blood. Just by telling him my feelings, the very core of me is changed.

Ahh, I cannot wait to open my eyes and see his face! To kiss his lips! To hear him talk to me again!

I cannot stop thinking about him. With every man I have ever loved before, I have always had control. The control to turn my thoughts of him off, to not lust over him day and night,

Bah, I cannot do this with Eragon! It is maddening! Could it be, that he is my soul mate? Made for me alone? I do not usually believe in such nonsense, but it would make such sense!

And as I lay here waiting for feeling my other four senses to re-establish, I ponder my love for the man whom I can feel is still holding my hand.

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There will be another chapter. The Happily Ever After (since thats what you all voted for!) I hope you enjoyed and please review, even if its just to say you liked it! ;)

_bookworm-with-bite


	5. Returned

And now for the grand Happily Ever After!!! I'm not going to put any details into what they plan to do with their lives now that the war is over. I believe that everyone has their own opinion of what they should do, so all of you fill in the gap for yourselves. However, I just _had _to write one scene of heartfelt confessions where neither of them is dying… as I am actually a romantic sap and not the heartless shrew people thought I was when I threatened to kill Arya off. J

**Disclaimer: If I owned The Inheritance Saga, would I be writing FANfiction.?? NO! I would be writing AUTHORfiction!!!! Sorry, lame joke but it made my point. **

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~*****APOV*****~

So slowly it is agonizing, feeling returns to my face. After a few brief moments of re-acquainting my self with all my senses and muscles, I slowly open my eyes.

My first surprise is that it is night. I would have thought it had been days that I spent receiving enough energy to return to my love, but when I "died" the sun was just setting. From the position of the moon now, it would seem that it is about one in the morning. How… disorienting.

All of a sudden, a light snore interrupts my puzzled musings.

Seemingly without my command, my torso jerks off of the sandy ground of the plateau. Every cell of my body screams to see Eragon's handsome face. I follow the sensation of a hand resting motionless in mine to look down upon his peaceful sleeping form.

"Oh, Eragon" I murmur. He is sleeping soundly on his side next to me, and he has removed his bloody battle armor. Now he is wearing only his worn leather breeches. I note that Murtaugh's body is gone, and that tear tracks still glisten on my love's tanned cheeks. (I am ashamed to admit that I enjoyed seeing he had wept for me; enjoyed seeing that I had brought Alegasia's bravest warrior to tears over his love for me. I am a disgrace, but a happy, in love , disgrace. ) I swiftly duck down and press my full lips to his forehead.

"I love you" I tell the sleeping dragon rider . How nice it feels to be able to announce that! Utilizing my free hand, I sweep his soft hair back off his face. Then I make good use of Eragon's lack of a shirt and run my hand over his muscular shoulders and back. I am relived beyond words that I find no injuries from the long battle

I am sorely tempted to wake Eragon to let him know I am alright. However, there is something so peaceful about the sleeping face of Alegasia's hero that I cannot bring myself to disturb him. And I am sooooo tired as well from my journey back from the void…..

A sudden yawn overtakes me, and my decision is made.

When I try to move my hand that is entwined with Eragon's he simply meshes our fingers further and mutters restlessly in his sleep. Trying to move as slowly as possible so as to not agitate my sleeping love further, I nestle up to his naked chest and leave our intertwined hands where they lay before. It may not be the most comfortable way I've ever slept, but it was certainly the most enjoyable. Sleep claimed me almost instantly, but even then unconscious the feeling of being safe and loved permeated my very dreams.

~*****EPOV*****~

The next morning I am awakened just after dawn, confused and disoriented.

I must be too groggy for straight thought, because although I remember crying myself to sleep over the loss of my love yesterday, inside I feel exulted, as though everything is better and Arya is alright. But as I think more upon the events of yesterday, my through depression stops whatever inside of me was so happy a moment ago. I wonder what woke me, I was sleeping like the dead. Ironic, considering I wish I was dead, then I could be with Arya. This brings a sigh and even more crushing sadness as I think about how her soul is gone although I managed to heal her body. Why am I always too late??

As I come to a bit more I realize something is tickling my unclothed stomach, and there is a light pressure on my chest as well. I feel the toned muscles tense as I fight back a laugh. I have always been so ticklish…

My surprised eyes fly open, but they are still bleary with sleep. All I can make out is a black smudge, exactly the shade of a ravens wing. Have the crows that follow battles come to eat my beloved's body?! I shall wring every stupid birds neck…..

But then my fuzzy eyesight focuses. The tickle is not a scavenger 's wing at all, but a smooth mass of night-black hair, blowing in the breeze. I would know that gorgeous hair anywhere! Joy is beginning to fill me like a warm fizzy drink. I follow the dark hair upwards to a face with flawless skin the color of back-lit alabaster. The eyes of this magnificent face are closed, with the thick, black lashes just gracing the tops of this dazzling creatures high cheekbones. It is the most beautiful face in the world. I would know it anywhere.

"Arya!" My exulted whisper may as well have been a shout. I was so ecstatic I could barely hold it in, but I didn't want to disturb the angel who is sleeping blissfully with her head on my chest.

She must have recovered, to have shifted so much closer to me! I know it! I can feel the joy fill me and overflow, as I wrap my tanned arms around Arya. I cannot remember the last time I felt so blessed, its like I'm holding the whole world in my arms.

"_Saphira! Saphira, she's alright! My Arya is alive!" _I shout through our mental link.

"_Really and truly?!" _She responds, and I see that she is helping the Varden stack dead bodies, and set them ablaze. However, this depressing task is not enough to dim the exultation that I can feel coursing through my dragon. _"I knew it!" _Saphira claims _" I knew she'd come back to you Little One! Her love for you is really something special."_

I sigh contentedly, and continue to let my feelings go out to Saphira, without putting words to them. Being this close to Arya is definitely hurting my ability to form complete sentences….

Saphira is very understanding, considering all the lusty emotions she must be getting zapped with.

"_Eragon_" she responds " _I'll see if I can get you two some breakfast then fly up there in about an hour ,alright?"_

"_Sure, sure_" I think somewhere in the back of my mind, and I feel her smirk about the trouble she thinks Arya and I are about to get up to….

"_Hey_!" I think with great force "_Its not like that. She's asleep_! "

I hear Saphira's bell-like laugh as she closes the mental link and flies off.

Actually, I'm not that annoyed by Saphira's gentle teasing. I don't think anything could upset me today, or any day for that matter, now that I know Arya loves me.

Arya loves me!!!!!!

That thought alone makes me so jubilant I cannot contain myself. I stretch my neck out and pull Arya into a gentle kiss… just the light brush of my lips on hers sends lightening bolts through my body. I sigh again and begin to run my fingers through her wavy black hair. It surprises me when I hear a little moan from Arya. She pulls her arms from her side and lays them over my chest and I can feel her roll her shoulders as she stretches.

"Normally, I am not a morning person" she says softly, opening her brilliant-jade eyes, "But I must admit, that was a _delightful_ way to wake up. Will you kiss me again?" Her heart-shaped face is so pleading, I almost laugh. As if she needs to plead!

"Your wish is my command, my lady!" I reply, gently nuzzling her blushing cheek before slowly turning my lips to meet hers.

I am aware that this is the first kiss that Arya has been fully conscious for, but that knowledge didn't prepare me for the breathy little moan she would make, nor the way she parted her lips on mine…

The way our tongues twisted together,… ah….there are no words. I had thought it would be complicated, but it seems that Arya and I have already had our fair share of complications in our relationship. This is as easy and natural as breathing in and out, although the electric feeling in my body is anything but commonplace! I know no feeling in this world could ever compare to this kiss with Arya. In this moment I knew that she was mine, the only person that the gods had made just for me. Who else could make me feel this way other than my soul mate?

When she sat up, breast heaving as she tried to breathe, she muttered loudly" ERAGON! _Where_ did you get so good at that?!" Then she smiled at me, and the love and adoration that I saw in the green pools of her eyes made me feel compelled to tell her all over again how I felt. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I got up, sat beside her, and wrapped my arm around her slender shoulders.

"Arya." I murmured in her delicately pointed ear "I love you." The ancient language I used made it impossible to lie.

She gave me a chaste little peck on the lips then said softly "I know. I love you, too." in the language of her people. But the look on her face told me she wasn't finished.

"Eragon, you know as an elf older than 100 I have loved and lost many years before you were even born." I felt my adoring smile melt off my face, I'm not sure I like where this is going. "Let me finish" she says gently, placing a finger against my lips "But I have never, ever felt this way before. I think…. I-think-you-might-be-my-soul-mate" That last part came out in a rush.

A startled laugh escaped my lips. "That's funny!" I exclaim.

"This _amuses_ you?" Arya turns away, looking distraught.

"No, no my love. Its just that…. when you kissed me like that….. I thought the same thing. " I admitted.

She then turns her breathtaking face back to me, now it wears an expression of pure delight. My heart nearly stops with the knowledge that I have made her so happy, just by sharing my thoughts with her. I will definitely be telling her of my musings more often now…..

"You _did_?" Arya inquires breathlessly

"Yes, Arya. I did." I run my fingers over her delicate cheekbones, then move my hand back into her sleek hair. For a moment she is content to have me stroke her hair and massage the back of her swan-like neck.

Then she stands, and for a moment I am very confused. Have I hurt her? She bites her lip for a moment, deliberating, before putting a graceful leg on either side of my waist and sitting in my lap.

I make no move to hide my surprised expression. My love looks down shyly then says, very quietly, "Kissed you like… this?"

And then her mouth is on mine.

I admit I did not know my Arya contained such passion. She kisses me as though she could fold us into one person, holding me as though she is a climbing rose and I am the trellis. How many times have I fantasized of her being with me this way? Nothing I could have imagined could compare to this. Especially after I thought I had lost her, I had believed that while we so clearly loved each other I would never be able to experience such passion. I am so grateful that she came back to this world…..

"Arya, love" I break the kiss off short. "How DID you come to return to me? "

She rests her smooth forehead against my shoulder and laughs softly. "It's a long story my love."

I smile triumphantly as I reply "We have all the time in the world."

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YAY HAPPY ENDING!!!!! REJOICE AND BE GLAD!!!

So I have a few ideas for what my next story should be, and I figured all the people who put my on Author Alert should get some say in where I go next. If you care enough to read another of my stories, please vote for one of the following story ideas in your review:

1. **The First Time I Said "I Love You"**

_Twilight/Romance/Rated T_

This will be a story that has a chapter for exploring all of the Cullen relationships, and as the title suggests how Carlisle/Esme, Rosalie/Emmett, Alice/ Jasper, and Renesme/Jacob first said "I love you" to one another. Much of this will be creative license, because S. Meyer really doesn't give us much to go on. I've got some really cute fluffy ideas for the some of the stories and angst romance for the others, so it would be really varied and cool!!!!

2. **Thinking Of You **

_Batman Begins/The Dark Knight/Rated T? Possibly M for lemons/ Pairing=Bruce & Rachel _

Set after Harvey proposes to Rachel. On the way home she hears the song Thinking of You by Katy Perry. ("Cause when I'm with him I'm, Thinking of You, Thinking of You……") Basically 1st chappie is song fic where she realizes she loves Bruce. Then in the 2nd chapter she _wont_ die, Bruce only THINKS she does. She'll go back to him when Harvey is dead and profess her love, he'll say he loves her too. There will probably be a lemon because I love this pairing to bits and pieces. Yikes my 1st one. Its probably gonna suck soooo bad, lol.

3. **iThink I might love Fred-dork**

_iCarly/Rated T/ Pairing=Freddie & Sam_

This show is a weird obsession of mine, as children's sitcoms usually drive me nuts. I actually love this show, especially Seddie!!!!!!! After iKiss (Freddie and Sam share their first kisses) and iTwin (Freddie thinks he kissed Sam again, but it was actually her twin sister!!) I want to write a story where Sam explains to Carly why she treats Freddie the way she does and that she loves him. Freddie will do the same. Yay for mushy Seddie love!!!!

So yep, those are just some random ideas float'n around my head. I hope one of them stands out to you so you'll review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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